After capturing the ears of America with her debut album
Lights (2011)
, British pop sensation Ellie Goulding follows up with her sophomore album
Halcyon, which builds upon her bubbly trademark style and exhibits the singer/songwriter's darker, more anthemic side as well. The album opens with "Don't Say a Word", which echoes with Goulding's ghostly vocals accompanied by deep, forceful drums and airy synths. Even by simply hearing the opening track, the listener can get a clear sense of the album's overall stylistic departure from
Lights' upbeat and danceable tunes. It's almost as if "Your Song", the closing ballad on
Lights, serves as a prelude to what is to come. The word "halcyon" is defined as describing a time in the past when all was happy and peaceful. The overarching feel of the album suggests such a period of past bliss while simultaneously creating a collectively sorrowful and desperate sound.
Halcyon cries out with sentiment both lyrically and through the instrumentals, which include somber piano riffs, soft, dancing synths, orchestral strings, even some deep, vibrating dubstep melodies on tracks such as "Atlantis" and "Figure 8." Many of the songs on the album are more or less ballads, which signifies Ellie's maturity both personally and musically. In the midst of all this though, tracks like "I Need Your Love"and "Anything Could Happen"still reflect Goulding's signature brightness that fans of hers know and love. Overall,
Halcyon is a simply beautiful record in virtually all regards, and displays one of music's most talented female rising stars in all of her grandeur.
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